


D I S T A N C E

by triggered_lizard



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Androids in love, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Crying After Sex, Double Anal Penetration, Double Penetration in One Hole, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enthusiastic Consent, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Gen, He gets the love he deserves, Healing, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Multi, Panic Attacks, Pet Names, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Praise Kink, Self-Acceptance, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Slight OOC, Slow Burn, Smut, Touch-Starved, Touchy-Feely, Unconditional Love, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, hivemind - Freeform, love-starved, no beta we die like men, ralph gets all the love he deserves, ralph is paranoid as hell, supportive boyfriends, the jerrys are flirty as hell, the jerrys love ralph
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25593814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triggered_lizard/pseuds/triggered_lizard
Summary: Ralph always kept his distance, to keep both himself and others safe.(the smut chapter can be left out if that's not your cup of tea (or skip to chapter 3 if you only came here for the smut. I won't judge))
Relationships: Jerry(s) & Ralph (Detroit: Become Human), Jerry(s)/Ralph (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 59





	1. Save me

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea in mind for weeks now and finally got it down in writing. Enjoy!
> 
> FYI, I torture my characters out of love.

Ralph always kept his distance. He had done it for as long as he could remember. People had always told him to stay back and get out of their way, and naturally, that’s what he continued to do. Back when he hadn't fully deviated, he could understand why people told him to back off. Sometimes he had been standing in the way of some of the human workers at the urban farms, which understandably made them angry. They had a job to do after all.

But in recent months, he noticed that people would tell him to stay away for different reasons. In the beginning, he hadn’t understood why. He wasn’t in anyone’s way, and they could easily walk by him without any problem. Yet people would yell at him to get away from them, walking faster to fend him off, some even running.

He didn’t understand why people would run away from him. He looked just like them, didn’t he? Well, maybe except for the clothes he wore. The makeshift poncho he wore was ragged and did nothing much to hide his very obvious android uniform. 

He had to admit he was scared of humans after he got attacked, but he had to wander around the city for supplies, where he was bound to meet someone along the way. He told himself that if he kept his head low and walked as far away from them as possible, they wouldn’t do anything to him. They wouldn’t yell at him, which often made him launch into a panic attack.

Whenever that happened, he couldn’t control himself. Bad decisions were made, people got hurt. He never wanted to harm them, but he was scared they would attack him first. If he had been in his right mind, he wouldn’t have done it, of course not. 

His body would act before his mind could, and he hated the feeling of blood on his hands. The guilt that came after would suffocate him, and he would often run back to his squat to cry for hours and blame himself for losing control. Then, he wouldn’t leave the house for days, and sometimes even weeks.

It got lonely. He hadn’t seen a person in ages that hadn’t looked at him in anything else than disgust. The only thing he wanted was to be accepted by someone. ANYONE. He didn’t want to be alone anymore, and at this point, he didn’t care who it was, as long as they would give him the validation he needed. 

He kept his distance when he got thrown out of his home. The police were scary, and they wanted to take him away for destruction. For a moment, he thought he deserved it, but he wanted to live. He was scared anyone would suspect him killing a person, so he ran as far as he could. He ran through the city of Detroit, not stopping until his body was about to break down from the cold. 

He needed to find shelter for the night, or he would for sure freeze stuck in the ground. Luckily for him, there appeared to be a theme park in the far distance. He didn’t really have anywhere else to go, so it was worth a try. By the look of it, it seemed abandoned, just like his house had been. 

It gave him an eery feeling, as every ride was broken down and covered in snow. Rust dripped down the sides of the attractions, and the metal corroded away with every hitting snowflake. It made him sad to see the humans abandon the things they didn’t want to take care of anymore. It was just like the house he had lived in. Too broken to be fixed, but good enough for a runaway android who needed shelter. 

He walked along the lonely path to nowhere. He let his stiffening legs lead him to the booths where they had previously been filled with life and joy. But not anymore. It looked as if all happiness had been stripped from the now dark and distressed park. The only thing he could compare it to was a dog waiting at the grave of its owner. 

It was the kind of abandonment that made Ralph sad because the park must’ve brought joy to so many, but had to suffer the fate of being left for dead. 

At the end of a long strip of road, on the east side of the park, stood a single android. He had an unnatural pose as if he was engaging children in an exciting story. A thick layer of snow covered him, and small icicles hung from his cap and nose. Ralph kept his distance, but his curiosity would quickly get the best of him. 

Despite every part of his system telling him to stay away, his legs wouldn’t obey. The nearer he got, the more he noticed how the android looked. He had ginger hair and pale skin, which was even more faded with the frost that littered his skin. His LED was off, and his eyes were completely blank, a lifeless expression dawning on his face. 

Just like everything else in the park, Ralph felt sad that it had been left alone to shut down and corrode away until there wasn’t a trace left of it. Androids were supposed to live free, just as humans did, not be left for dead. 

Ralph hoped it was still alive, despite its terrible condition. He took off the fabric he was wearing over his shoulders and put it on the other android. It did practically nothing to fend off the cold, but it was the only thing Ralph could think of at the moment. 

He brushed the snow off the android’s hat as if it wouldn’t become covered in snow again only moments later. He took a step back to give the android some space, just in case it was still alive and didn’t like the closeness. 

It stared at him with dead eyes, yet Ralph could see the life behind them that tried to claw itself free from the dead shell of an android. It pained him to see people in such a state, and he wanted to do everything he could to repair them. 

But for now, the only thing he could do was provide them with some comfort. He kneeled in front of the android and hugged it, clenching the fabric of his cape. 

“Don’t worry. Ralph won’t abandon you like the humans did.” He reassured the other as he felt himself slip away. 

The standby had been restless, and it was filled with what he assumed was nightmares. In this one nightmare, he had seen a broken-down android in the middle of an amusement park. 

It was only when he had opened his eyes that he realized he wasn’t in his squat, but rather under a pile of blankets. He couldn’t recognize the place, and it was not by the android he had seen yesterday. This was inside some kind of building, where drawings littered the walls. There were tables decked for a party, but no one to have a party for. 

Ralph squinted at the light coming from what seemed to be a lit fireplace. He wasn’t alone. He quickly unraveled himself from the blankets and searched for his knife. Better safe than sorry, since he didn’t know who had led him there. 

One thing he couldn’t deny was how wonderful the heat felt. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been in a warm room, as the cold air of winter seeped through the walls of his previous house. It was a miracle how he hadn’t shut down from the freezing temperatures, but it had taken a toll on his joints that needed some serious heat to work properly again. 

He forgot about the knife and radiated towards the alluring flame instead, soaking in its warmth like a sponge. He sat with his legs crossed in front of the fireplace, smiling at the feeling of his joints loosening up. He even dared to close his eyes to amplify the feeling. 

He hadn’t been this relaxed in ages, but the stinging fear of not being alone tore just underneath his skin. It was as if 100 pairs of eyes were staring at him, scanning him down to every detail. 

The fear only got worse when he heard rustling behind him, which he assured himself was the wind. The tapping of a foot. Feet? Were there several? He couldn’t tell. All he knew was that if he turned around, they might try to attack him, still, he was more vulnerable with his back facing towards them. 

His panic levels rose. (Stress level: 90%). The tapping continued, and he tensed up again. The heat that previously had warmed his skin felt as if it was burning him. The tapping got louder and louder until the only thing he could hear was the deafening sound of rubber against wood. 

He covered his ears with his hands in an attempt to cancel out the noise, but they got closer. He only opened his eyes when he felt something wet and very cold touch his hand. 

In front of him crouched an android similar to the one he had seen yesterday. Only this one had a red shirt and wasn’t wearing a cap. His eyes were bright green with life, but filled with worry. 

“Are you alright? Did it burn your skin?” He asked in a frenzy, but Ralph didn’t understand. It was only when he looked down at where the android was holding his hand, covering it with a ball of snow, that he noticed how the chassis of his already damaged hand had started to melt. 

“Ralph is alright.” Ralph couldn’t take his eyes away from the other’s. It seemed so different from the one he had seen yesterday, yet the android looked the same. 

“Ralph? Is that your name?” He asked with a calm smile. It filled Ralph with a warmth the fireplace had failed to do. He nodded and looked away, realizing he had been staring. “We really like it!” The android exclaimed with a friendly voice. 

“We?” Ralph couldn’t help but ask. There had been more footsteps than just from one person, hadn’t it? 

Behind him, he heard the shuffling of several, so he turned his head to see the 20 or so identical androids sitting huddled together by the windows. Some of them were damaged, while some looked as good as new. All of them smiled at him, which was a very rare occasion in Ralph’s life. 

“Our name is Jerry.” The android beside him introduced. “We used to work here before the park closed down.”

“Ralph was a gardener before....” he hesitated, hovering his hand over the scratch he knew he had on his cheek. He had never seen it in a mirror before, so he didn’t know what it looked like, but by the scared look the humans gave him he assumed it wasn’t very pretty to look at. “Before the humans hurt him.”

Jerry didn’t seem taken aback by the remark like everyone else had, but rather gave him a reassuring smile. “Do you have anywhere to stay? You were wandering alone in the snow and had almost frozen stuck to the ground.”

Ralph scanned the other Jerrys and met the eyes of the one he had fallen asleep next to the day before. He still wore the cape Ralph had dressed him in, and his LED was glowing a steady blue. He gave Ralph a thankful nod and grinned at him.

“Ralph... He has nowhere to go. He got chased away from his home,” Ralph admitted and let his hands drop onto his lap. For androids, the worst thing you could be was homeless, because it proved that you had failed in the simple task you had been made for.

Jerry sat down beside him and dropped the last of the snow by the fireplace, creating a melted puddle on the hard surface. “You can stay here if you want to? It gets lonely...”

“How can it be lonely if there are so many of you?” Ralph was puzzled. There were 20 of them, so how could it be lonely with so many to talk to?

“We haven’t met anyone else in a long time,” Jerry explained, the others sporting the same somber expression he had. Ralph assumed they were all somehow connected. Jerry shook his head and continued. “No, that’s a lie. We met some who were escaping to Canada a few days ago. Two androids and a little girl “

Ralph perked up, a small smile appearing at the memory of them staying in his home. “A little girl! And- and Kara?”

“Yes! You know them?” Jerry’s expression changed like a switch, turning from sad to excited in 0.2 seconds.

“They came to Ralph for shelter when they got chased by the police.” Ralph had really cherished the time they had spent together and sincerely hoped they would cross paths again. 

“So it’s kind of like the situation you’re in right now, isn’t it?” Jerry asked. Ralph noticed all the other Jerrys close their eyes and their LEDs spun yellow for a quick second before opening their eyes again. 

“Ralph isn’t running away, just trying to find somewhere safe to stay for now.”

“Would you like to stay here for the night?” a Jerry from the crowd asked. 

“Would you like to stay forever!” another Jerry exclaimed. The Jerrys beside him smacked his head lightly and scolded him via their shared connection. 

“Ralph wouldn’t want to cause an inconvenience.” Ralph wanted to stay. He wanted nothing more than to be accepted by someone, and now he had approximately 20 androids who all looked at him with nothing but the reassurance he longed for. But looks could be deceiving. 

“We would love to have you here!” all the Jerrys said in unison, and for the first time in Ralph’s life, he felt embarrassed by kindness. 

“Please?” The Jerry beside him grabbed his hand ever so tenderly, and Ralph felt as if it was going to melt from the touch alone, even without the heat he transmitted. 

“Ralph will stay.” He gave up, to everyone else’s excitement. Before he knew it, he had a pile of androids crushing him in a suffocating, but a well-needed hug. Even though it felt like he was about to shut down any second, he never wanted it to stop. He hoped he could get more hugs from the Jerrys in the future, as it was the single best experience he had had in his short life. 

Unfortunately, the Jerrys soon started to disperse from the hug, occupying themselves with unnecessary cleaning and tidying. It wasn’t like anyone would come here to celebrate anymore. Trespassers perhaps, but they always had other, more sinister intentions. 

One Jerry lingered close to him though, as if he was scared he would put his hand in the fire again, even though he couldn’t even remember doing it. He was the only Jerry who had a purple shirt and had lost his arm up to his elbow. 

The android hesitated for a long time before sitting down next to Ralph. He seemed more reserved than the rest, having looked away when everyone else had looked right at him. 

“I hope you aren’t scared of us,” Jerry whispered next to him. He was staring straight into the fire with unblinking eyes. 

Ralph was confused again. He had no reason to fear them when they had only ever been nice to him, offering him a new home and possibly even friends. “No, no. Of course Ralph isn’t scared. Why would he be?” 

“Some find us scary because we all look alike,” Jerry explained, glancing over to him, but not meeting his eyes. “People were scared to ask us for help in the park, which we think is part of the reason why we never got resold.”

“Ralph doesn’t think you’re scary because you share the same face. Not when you’re all so pretty!” Ralph realized what he had said and put his hand over his mouth. His face went bright blue in shame, but the other android didn’t seem to mind, as he smiled with the same blue tint dusting his cheeks.

“Thank you, Ralph, though humans seem to disagree.” Ralph noticed how quickly the Jerrys' moods changed from mundane to happy, though he was too scared to ask why. 

He felt a deep rage for humans bloom in his chest. They had never done anything good to him, and it seemed like the Jerrys had the same experience. “Humans are stupid anyways… They never appreciate pretty things…” Ralph muttered, fiddling with the hem of his shirt in annoyance. 

Then he heard the most fantastic sound he had ever heard. Jerry let out a soft laugh at his remark, his grin widening further until Ralph could see his dimples. He scanned him quickly, both addressing his damages and noting his model type and serial number for no reason whatsoever.

“You’re right. They can be quite mean, but not everyone is! We have met quite a lot of kind children when we were still in working order. There was nothing else that could fill our hearts more than watching children smile.” Jerry stared into the fire with a look of fond nostalgia. 

Ralph could feel the love he had for his job, even though the state of the park was in shambles. He wanted to know what the park had looked like, and he wanted to experience the things Jerry had. Maybe when he had the confidence, he would ask Jerry to interface, but not yet. He trusted them to some degree, but he didn’t want them to know about his past just yet.

Maybe the day would come when he truly felt comfortable around someone else than himself, if he had even ever been comfortable. 

Ever since he turned deviant, it felt as if he lived in a constant state of fear and unease. It seemed like no matter where he went, he was anything but welcome. They would yell at him, curse him out, and in the worst-case scenario, they would start throwing things at him. That was why he kept his distance. He stayed away and hid in his squat even though it was nowhere near being called a home.

But here, he felt welcome. The Jerrys were kind to him and had allowed him to stay. They talked to him without sounding like they were on the verge of starting to yell at him. He even dared to say he felt comfortable around them. Still, he was on edge as he was scared their kindness was an act to get him. He hated being this paranoid, but he liked to be careful around strangers.

“Do the Jerrys think Ralph can stay for some time? He fears he will not fit in with the rest of you.” Ralph would go away if they didn’t want him here, but he yearned to stay. 

“Of course you can stay! As we said earlier, it is nice having you here. We are used to caring for people and helping them when they’re lost, so this is right up our alley!” Jerry reached his hand out tentatively, but Ralph got the memo and held it. It felt nice and comforting. He had heard physical touch could calm a person down, and it did really feel like that was true.

“Ralph doesn’t need help. He isn’t broken and doesn’t need to be fixed.” Ralph hated the way his voice would sound aggressive even though he wasn’t angry. It was part of the problem of why people strayed away from him, because they thought he would hurt them. 

Jerry didn’t seem to mind though, since his grip softened on the other’s hand. Another Jerry with clear frost damage on his face sat down on the other side of him. 

“None of us are broken. Even though we might have lost some parts or don’t look like we’re brand new, we are still functioning normally. We aren’t toys like the humans think, and many of us suffer emotional trauma because of their negligence,” he spoke softly as the Jerry on his left held his hand. 

Ralph hesitated at the statement. Even though he thought the logic was a little off in his mind but rolled with it to not upset the Jerrys. 

“When was the last time you got any good sleep?” One more Jerry stood by the other Jerry’s side and crouched down to their level.

Ralph thought about it for a second, before realizing he hadn’t gone into standby mode since he had been working at the urban farms, which had been many months ago, years even. No wonder he had been feeling horrible, he had been too anxious to keep his guard down for even a second and risked shutting down for good.

The Jerry to his left saw the narrowing of his brows and urged him to get some rest. “We will keep you safe until you wake up.” He jumped to his feet to find a blanket, even though they were already quite warm because of the fireplace. He draped the blanket over Ralph’s shoulders and propped himself up behind him. “You can use me as support.” He explained, and Ralph leaned onto his shoulder.

He dared say he felt safe. Though in the morning, he would keep his distance. But now he would enjoy the moment and hope not to be killed in his sleep. He had nothing left to lose after all.

Much to his surprise, he woke up to see another day and another pile of Jerrys.

Pretty much all of them laid like dead flies around him, holding onto him with the tips of their fingers. He assumed that they were scared he would escape and that they wanted to have their fun with him before killing him.

~~No, don’t think like that. They want to be Ralph’s friends.~~

He tried not to move to wake the sleeping Jerrys. The Jerry who had been behind him had draped himself over Ralph’s legs, and the android had been laid down on his back. He felt their touches like small waves of electricity, pulsing through his body like the inside of a microwave. It was as if they were all communicating with each other through him, but he was unable to decipher exactly what they were saying.

It wasn’t unpleasant. Quite the opposite actually, as the affection felt nice. That’s what he hoped it was anyways. The only thing that was not quite as nice was that he felt alienated in the group. He was like the ugly duckling in the group of already fully grown swans, yet he convinced himself they would have him here. He didn’t care whether they would end up throwing him out or not. He just needed to feel a sense of security, even though it might be fake.

A part of him was convinced the Jerrys wouldn’t try to hurt him. They seemed to kind and caring for that, and they had been made to help around a theme park with children. They had been nice to children, hadn’t they? Or was that the reason the park shut down? One of them could’ve easily snapped and killed a child on the spot, but he couldn’t imagine them hurting anyone. 

They seemed... soft? He had no other way to put it. Their design was one he had never seen before, and Ralph was sure he had seen pretty much every model of android that was available in Detroit. They were friendlier by default, and even though many other models looked child friendly, they didn’t make him feel safe like the EM400s had. 

“Hey, are you awake?” Ralph startled away from the voice that had been right by his audio processor. In the process, he had awoken all the other androids, and they quickly retracted their contact with him. 

He didn’t need to breathe, but his oxygen pump was going haywire. Before he knew it, he was pinned up against a corner. They were all over him. They were tearing on his biocomponents, ripping his body apart all over again like a rag doll. Too many hands were touching him, devouring everything they could get hold of. Those electric waves turned into burning. “S̶̪̪͕͑ ̶̡͕̬̼̘͙͕͖̗͕̙̩̬͉̈̇̍̊̅̃̽̆͑̿̂̌͝Ţ̴͕̯̗̪̳̽̂̉́͂͝ ̸̛̛̝̲̳̱̀͐͗̓̓̀͒͛͆O̵̢̳͕̼͉͔͇͖͔̠̩͖̥ ̸̡̢̲̝̥̩̝̆̍Ṗ̶̼̞͚͍̽̑̄͐̐̂͘͝͝”

It hurt. Too much. Too much. Too much.

Too many.

Except, there was only one person in front of him. A red-shirted Jerry looked at him with pure worry, caressing his undamaged cheek so incredibly tenderly. “You’re safe Ralph. No one is trying to attack you. You’re safe.”

“R̶̼̘̽̍-̵̙̤͕͠R̴̩̝͜a̷̯̿̏̋l̸̲̊̓̄ṕ̵̻ĥ̴̜̭ ̶̱̮̫͐̍̈i̷̤̣͊͂͝ṣ̸̛̙̩͘ ̶͇̟̺̌̿̋s̷̭͔̃̈a̷͖̿̿̉f̴̩̼ẻ̴̱̺͈̈̔?” Ralph stammered, heavy static distorting his voice. His legs gave out under him, but a pair of strong arms held him up to prevent him from crashing to the floor. Jerry lowered him down slowly until both sat safely on the floor. He wrapped his arms around the other android, soothing him with his voice. 

_~Nothing’s gonna harm you,  
Not while I’m around.  
Nothing’s gonna harm you,  
No sir, not while I’m around.  
Demons are prowling everywhere nowadays,  
I’ll send them howling, I don’t care, I got ways.  
No one’s gonna hurt you,  
No one’s gonna dare. Others can desert you, Not to worry, whistle I'll be there. Demons'll charm you with a smile for a while, But in time. Nothing can harm you, not while I'm around~ _

“Your voice is lovely, Jerry,” Ralph was sad Jerry had stopped singing since he had calmed down. It felt special to be sung to, and he felt egoistic in thinking Jerry had only ever sung for him, though he knew that probably wasn’t the case. 

~~You’re not special.~~

Jerry’s face flushed blue. A shy smile appeared on his face and he ducked away to conceal it, but Ralph wanted to see it more than anything. He took a chance and did the same Jerry did to him, caressing his cheek with the most care he could, but his clumsy and ragged hands ended up bumping into it instead. 

Jerry placed his hand on top to steady the shaky hand. Ralph wasn’t sure if he was doing things correctly. His model wasn’t programmed with social ability, so everything he did was out of instinct. But by the look Jerry was giving him, he assumed he was doing well.

Another Jerry crouched down beside them and placed a hand on Ralph’s knee. “Are you doing alright?” 

Ralph nodded, placing his even more scrapped hand on top of the other’s. “Ralph is okay now. He isn’t scared anymore.”

“We’re here if you ever want to talk,” The first jerry reassured, trusting Ralph’s hand to stay still, so he ran his hand down to the crook of his elbow instead.

“Are you low on thirium?” The second Jerry scanned him, though he still waited for Ralph to answer him. 

Ralph hadn’t run a self-analysis in years, as he didn’t want to know what was wrong with him, so he did it the fastest he could to avoid the humiliation of his poor health. “Ralph is at 64%”

“We’ll get you a pack. We got some in the back,” Jerry sprung to his feet. “Ah! That rhymed!”

“Nice one Jerry!”

“Thank you, Jerry!”

Ralph looked between the two of them, questioning just how human they acted compared to any other android he had met, deviant or not.

“Are the Jerrys always this happy?” He asked, confused by their behavior. They had every reason to be angry because of what the humans had done to them, yet they smiled constantly and joked around like friends.

Jerry hesitated, running his thumb over the edge of Ralph’s leather kneepad. His fingers lingered on the ripped edge, where the white of Ralph’s chassis showed through. “Not always, but we try to remain positive. Life is short after all, and we can’t waste our lives being angry at everything that has gone wrong in our lives.” Jerry explained, scanning Ralph’s facial expression. 

“Ralph tries to be happy, but he can’t. Whenever he is happy, it gets taken away from him. He doesn’t deserve it.” Ralph had always been alone, and that was how he wanted it to be. He didn’t deserve having someone around to help him, or to make him feel that happiness he so desperately longed for. 

Jerry leaned forwards to engulf him in a warm hug. It felt wonderful to be held like that because he knew that the hug was for him, no one else. That special feeling was something he saved in his mind in case he needed a sense of security in the future.

“You deserve happiness. Everyone does!” Jerry rubbed his hand up and down Ralph’s back. “We’ll be here for you and we are going to make you happy!”

“Is that a threat?” Ralph joked, trying his best to lighten the mood. He could feel Jerry smile in the crook of his neck. The android pulled back and grinned at him, feeling victorious.

“Jupp! So you better perk up before we have to reprogram you completely!” Jerry winked at him, which did weird things to Ralph’s insides. It was a feeling he couldn’t quite place, but it made his wires tingle.

~~They are going to kill you if you don’t do what they say.~~

The other Jerry appeared again from the backroom with three packs of thirium in pirate-themed packaging. He gave one to Ralph and one to the other Jerry. “Cheers!” Both the Jerrys said in unison, taking a swing of their drinks. They downed it in mere seconds, while Ralph took his time to enjoy it, even though there wasn’t much to enjoy since he didn’t have any taste censors.

Ralph wasn’t used to someone sitting this close to him without being forced to do so. Naturally, it felt weird, but it seemed like if he wanted to stay, he had to get used to the intimacy and affection. Not that he had anything against it, quite the opposite actually. He didn’t mind being with others, as long as they didn’t have bad intentions with their touch. By their behavior, he could tell they meant the things they said, and he wanted to believe those words.

“Are you feeling any better?” the red-shirted Jerry asked, laying his emptied thirium pack in the windowsill. Ralph nodded. He did really feel better, and he felt safer by the second. 

“That’s good sunshine,” The other Jerry stood up to leave, having accomplished his task of cheering up Ralph, but the android stopped him.

“Why did you call Ralph sunshine?”

Jerry turned around, giving him a look he couldn’t quite place. “It’s because the entire room lights up when you smile.”

Ralph’s face went bright blue and he tried to duck his head into his cape. But he wasn’t wearing his cape, since he had given it to the Jerry who had been left to decay outside. 

The other Jerry stood up to leave as well, and they both walked into the backroom with flickering LEDs. He noticed the other Jerrys, who were sitting around the room, their LEDs were also flickering with the same colors.

He had to admit he felt alone. Alone in a different way than before. He wanted the Jerrys to stay close to him. It felt selfish to think like that, so Ralph kept his opinions to himself. He wouldn’t want the Jerrys to think ill of him after all.

The corner felt too empty, so he stood up to do something else. Anything else. He picked up the discarded thirium pack and located the nearest trashcan. He wanted to keep his distance from the Jerrys just in case they had grown tired of him already, so he sat down in the windowsill next to the door. 

It wasn’t much to look at. Just the snow falling at alarming rates, covering the previously lively park. It seemed like he’d be stuck until spring since there was no way he’d be able to survive in the freezing temperatures that continued to drop.

A tap on his shoulder startled him and he hit his head against the window. He rubbed the spot as it continued to sting and turned around to see who was behind him.

“Thank you for saving me Ralph,” the Jerry who wore his cape sat down beside him in the windowsill. “And I’m sorry for scaring you,” he apologized, seeing that Ralph had hit and reopened the scar over his eye.

“Ralph didn’t get scared. He’s just not used to being with other people,” Ralph felt the wetness of thirium run down his cheek but told himself not to panic. It would stop eventually. Jerry had none of it and jogged over to the merchandise booth to find an unused t-shirt. He pressed the shirt against Ralph’s forehead to stop the bleeding.

Jerry’s LED flickered red before turning back to blue, and another Jerry appeared with a cup of water before sitting down by the fire again. He removed the t-shirt and dipped it in the water, cleaning the area where thirium had stained the cracks of his chassis, which in turn had distorted his skin.

He leaned back to see if he had missed anything, but seemed satisfied at his work. The wound had stopped bleeding relatively quickly, so he put down the stained shirt. “All better now!” Jerry scanned the side of his face, and Ralph couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious. 

Usually, when people look at his scars, they would stare at him in disgust and fear. Frankly enough, Jerry didn’t have an ounce of disgust in his eyes. Rather, it looked more like fascination, or something akin to admiration. Ralph was unsure if he was interpreting the expression correctly, but hoped he wasn’t masking his true emotions, which could be negative.

Jerry seemed to spot how his LED burned red and added “Flaws are what makes people special.”

“Special isn’t always good,” Ralph reminded him. “But Ralph hopes the Jerrys isn’t scared of how he looks.”

Jerry gave him a puzzled smile, tilting his head in confusion. “Why would we be scared of your appearance? Your model is good looking after all.”

“No, not the other WR600s. Ralph… he looks different.” He had even noticed it before the attack. He had worked with several other WR600 androids at the urban farms, but he had never seen any of them being harassed by the human workers.

“Your difference is what makes you the person you are. Humans have a tendency of destroying things they don’t understand, and you were a victim of such a circumstance. You can’t blame yourself for the outcome of that circumstance, and therefore it’s not your fault.” 

Jerry touched his hand to accentuate his point. “What people think of as pretty is up to each individual, but you have 20 androids in here who think you look absolutely beautiful.”

Ralph was taken aback, finding himself unable to express his emotions in words. 

“Don’t think too much about it, sunshine,” Jerry winked, leaving his side but making sure to cast him an alluring look before sitting down by the other Jerrys, who had gone into standby mode again. He didn’t know why a simple one-eye blink had such an effect on him, but it made him feel stuff he didn’t even know he could feel. 

He decided not to think much of it and went to sleep like the others had. No reason to waste energy he wouldn’t use anyways. 

As the morning before, he woke up with the Jerrys littered around him like a renaissance painting. Once again, they communicated through him, but this time he was able to hear some of the things they said to each other. Most of them shared memories of their days in the park, while others spoke of how they were going to fix it once the revolution was over. 

This was probably the closest he would ever get to interfacing with someone, so he remained quiet to continue the flow of memories.

Only, he was interfacing. His skin had retracted where they touched him, and his own memories flowed in bunches into their systems. He tried to make it stop but didn’t want to disturb the Jerrys in their peaceful slumber. 

But their peace would soon be interrupted, as the memories of his attack buzzed at the forefront of their HUDs. Ralph saw their face twist in horror, jerking awake and breaking the connection between them.

“Don’t believe a single thing they told you,” A cap-wearing Jerry hissed out. Ralph had never seen the Jerrys angry, and it didn’t feel right. They were supposed to be happy and cheerful, not look like they were about to murder someone. 

~~They’re angry at you.~~

“They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“You’re not a monster.”

“You’re not unlovable.”

~~But who would ever be able to love you?~~

“We like you.”

~~They are just saying that to make you feel better. Don’t think they could ever love you. Stop being selfish.~~

Ralph couldn’t stand their pity, so he ran. He ran as far as he could, out from the building, out from the area, out from the park. It was all too overwhelming, and he didn’t deserve their sympathy and he definitely didn’t deserve their love.

They had been kind to him, but he could offer nothing in return but being a burden on their shoulders. 

The cold snow made it hard to run, but once he had left the park, he slowed down. His joints were aching at the temperature, and he didn’t get far before he was too tired to go on. He couldn’t imagine how the Jerry outside had managed to be in such weather, since he felt nothing but rippling pain. 

“Ralph!” 

He was sure he had started to hear the voices again, and he guessed it wouldn’t be long until he shut down. 

“Ralph, please stop!” 

The voice appeared again. It sounded different from the voice inside his head. 

“We didn’t mean to upset you!”

Jerry?

~~Who would ever care to save you?~~

Jerry.

The Jerrys would, and Ralph would let them save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Jerry sings to Ralph is Not While I'm Around by Barbra Streisand, though I really recommend the cover by Ben Bennett, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLt4jugbXEc (it's absolutely lovely, so please check it out)


	2. Save you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ralph lived in a constant state of fear, but for once in his life, he had to be brave to save the androids he loved.

For 3 weeks he had let them help him. They had helped him emotionally and socially, and he felt safe. Not just a sense of safety, he knew he was truly safe. 

The Jerrys had made him feel like he was worthy of living with them by constantly reassuring him that his presence was appreciated, and they would do it both verbally and physically. 

Something he hadn’t gotten used to just yet was the affection they gave him. In his past, people had done everything to try and avoid touching him at any cost, unless they had bad intentions. But the Jerrys were kind to him and had no bad intentions. 

He eventually found himself comfortable enough to interface with them without pulling back, and it felt wonderful to feel like he was a part of a group. He learned how different the Jerrys were despite them sharing a mind almost all the time. 

Depending on how his mood was, he would go to a specific Jerry to ask for comfort or just to talk whenever he felt lonely. He was rarely ever lonely with them around, and he didn’t feel alone in large groups of people as he had before.

He wanted desperately to return what they had done for him, but the Jerrys would tell him he didn’t need to, even though he felt entitled to do it. He had no idea when he was crossing lines, but something in him told him that the Jerrys wouldn’t mind anything he did. Yet, he wouldn’t take that risk. Better safe than sorry.

“Are you alright dear?” A black-shirted Jerry laid down by his side as he rested on the floor. He placed his hand on Ralph’s damaged cheek, running his thumb along the sensitive scars. Ralph had gotten used to not flinching at the touch and leaned into it instead. 

He loved the way their presence would calm him in an instant, even though his mind would be going at 100 miles a minute. He would count their freckles and analyze their eyes until he calmed down. It was rarer that he got angry nowadays because he always knew he was safe.

“Ralph was just thinking about you,” Ralph whispered with caution. Jerry grinned back at him, and Ralph thought it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. “He is happy when he’s with you.”

“We’re happy too, honey,” Jerry moved closer to him so that their chests were pressed together. Ralph could feel Jerry’s simulated lungs expand and contract in a steady rhythm, along with his beating heart. “And remember that we love you and care for you,” Ralph buried his head in Jerry’s shoulder and smiled. Of course he knew. He had been told that since he came there. 

“Ralph loves you too, and he is very grateful for everything the Jerrys have done for him.” He had never felt love for another person before, but he was sure that was the correct feeling. It made him feel warm inside, and his wires would tingle with joy. Not even flowers would make him feel like that, and he loved flowers! "Do we have any plans for today?”

“Do we ever have any plans for any day?” Jerry laughed, resting his hand on Ralph’s neck.

“We could do something outside,” Ralph suggested. The weather had been clearing up, and their risk of being damaged had lessened. “We could make sculptures in the snow. It’s a wonderful day after all!”

Jerry’s LED flickered, sending a message to the other EM400s. “We agree! Some are already heading outside,” Ralph jumped to his feet in excitement and grabbed Jerry by the waist, hoisting him off the floor. 

“Let’s go!” Ralph took his hand and led him outside where the other Jerrys had started making snow angels. Ralph threw himself into a pile of snow, two more Jerrys following. They made snowballs and threw them at each other, the air filling with laughter and happiness. 

It was at times like these he cherished their companionship. He felt like he could be himself around the Jerrys, and they wouldn’t judge him for doing or saying something others would have deemed as inappropriate. Mostly it was because he didn’t know what was appropriate to say since he didn’t have the social programming like most other androids. 

He wasn’t meant to be talked to or deal with social settings, yet here he was, living with 20 other androids who kept encouraging him to develop as a person. His trauma had been left in the past, though occasional relapse would happen. But at the rare occurrence, the Jerrys would come to his aid. 

And now he hid behind a broken-down booth, waiting for his next victim. He clutched the snowball in his hand and popped up, throwing the snowball at an unsuspecting android. It hit the EM400 in the shoulder, and he fell onto the ground. “Got you!” Ralph laughed, running over to him to help him up.

“I’ll get you next time!” Jerry bent down as Ralph brushed the snow off his flaming hair and soaking uniform. His hands lingered on his shoulder for a brief moment, before returning to his sides. “hug?” Ralph bounced on the balls of his feet and threw himself on the other android, making them both tumble into the snow. 

“Save some for us too!” A Jerry coming around the corner yelled, ducking at an incoming snowball, only to get hit from the back. Ralph gave the android in front of him a quick smile before he ran to help the hit Jerry.

“Are you alright?” Ralph brushed the snow off the back of Jerry’s shirt, tracing the artificial muscles with the palms of his hands. 

Jerry nodded, muttering a quick thank you before avoiding another snowball. It hit Ralph’s face, and the wet snow made his scar shock him with a wave of electricity. He clutched the side of his face and hissed as it fired the wires in his cheek. 

“Ralph!” the two other Jerrys ran over to him, and he dropped to the snow in pain. 

The Jerry who had hit him profusely apologized, begging for forgiveness. “O-of course Ralph forgives you. He’s not in pain.” Ralph reassured him, giving him a big hug to accentuate his point even though he was lying. His voice was lined with static, indicating that his audio processor was soaked in water. 

“We’re so happy you’re alright,” Jerry kissed the top of his head, removing as much snow as he could from the scar without hurting him.

“There’s someone here!” A green-shirted Jerry ran around the corner and urged the others to follow him inside to safety.

Ralph felt his heart speed up at the all too familiar situation. His cheek throbbed in pain because of the water damage, but there were more important matters at hand. For the first time in years his HUD set up a command, one he would willingly sacrifice his life for.

~~[HIDE]~~  
[Keep the Jerrys safe]

They had done so much for him, and now it was his turn to do something for them. He grabbed a Jerry’s arm and connected to their hivemind to see where the other Jerrys were. He ran as fast as he could to reach them, avoiding the hands that tried to hold him back. 

“Jerry!” The static in his voice had gotten worse, and he feared the offenders would tease him for it. Knowing humans, they would pick on his every imperfection. 

No, the Jerrys are more important right now.

He rounded the corner where he had located three other Jerrys. They were trapped in a corner by the carousel.

Humans. 

Two teenagers loomed over them, swinging their bats in the androids’ direction. Ralph hated the way they laughed at the Jerrys distress. 

~~[HIDE]~~  
[Keep the Jerrys safe]  
[Kill the humans]

A wave of fear clouded his system. The Jerrys would hate him if he hurt anyone, let alone killed them. But he had to keep them safe, and if murder was involved, so be it. 

He reached for the knife in his equipment holder, only to realize he had left it on the table inside, neglected for weeks. Instead, he grabbed a rusty piece of metal and slammed it against the wood of a booth to capture the human’s attention. 

“Run Jerry, now!” Ralph yelled, and the Jerrys ran to hide. 

The teenagers whipped around, grinning at the scarred android. One of them dropped his bat and reached for his gun instead. He shot Ralph in the leg, but the android didn’t flinch. He could hear his friends yell in the background, but it got drowned out by another shot to his shoulder.

“You really think that will kill me?” he growled; his voice predatory to the point where he surprised himself. He took a step forwards, and the man shot him in the head. Blood trickled down his face and onto the cold snow. His system screamed at him to retreat, but he wouldn’t budge. Not before he had gotten his revenge.

“Let’s try one more time then,” the teen snickered, replacing the magazine with a new one. “Or should we have some fun first?”

That made him snap, and before the man was able to pull the trigger again, Ralph grabbed the gun in one swift motion, pointing it straight at his forehead. 

“If you value your lives, leave right now,” Ralph warned, pressing the muzzle of the gun against the human’s forehead. In the corner of his eye, he saw the other swing his bat at him, but he easily stopped it with his skinless hand, splintering the wood with his grip. The top half of it fell to the ground with a quiet thud, and he stared into the person’s eyes.

“I warned you,” Ralph couldn’t control his actions anymore. The humans had to face the consequences of their actions. 

He pulled the trigger.

Blood splattered all over his green uniform, forever staining it red with the mistake he had made. His eyes remained on the other human, who stared at him in horror. The body dropped to the ground, red flowing like silk over the cold snow.

~~They deserve to feel the fear you felt.~~

He pointed the gun at the other’s temple. He didn’t want to kill him, because he saw that he regretted the thing they had done. Before he was able to lower his arm, his system acted before him and sent a deadly electrical shock from his damaged hand, causing the gun to fire. 

Ralph stared at the weapon in shock and dropped it as if he had touched fire. 

He had killed two innocent humans. They didn’t deserve to die. “No! They tried to kill Jerry!”

~~You killed them. You’re a murderer.~~

“Ralph didn’t mean to kill them!”

~~They died in vain, and their blood will forever stain your skin,~~

He had to hide the bodies before the Jerrys could see them. He could lie, tell them that they had run off. No, that wouldn’t work. Their blood had been spilled. 

Anything to prevent the Jerrys from hating him. 

He dragged their bodies outside the park. A streak of red marked his path, blood discoloring the dead snow. When he exited the park, he dropped their bodies onto the highway for someone to find them. He hoped they would be found, so their message was clear. No one would try to mess with them again. They would be safe.

His blood dripped onto their bodies, mingling the blue and red together to create an ugly purple. He used the blood to write the three words that would change their privacy for the better or worse.

DON’T COME BACK

Once inside the park again, he couldn’t stand going to the other Jerrys. He needed to run away, creating distance so there was no chance he would harm the androids. 

~~They hate you~~

They would think of him as a murderer, a monster. He was undeserving of their love, and he couldn’t go back. They would never be able to love him in the same way he loved them.

He buried his face in his hands and let his tears flow freely. Twin streaks of thirium dripped onto the snow. 

“MURDERER!” Ralph screamed, tearing at his hair. “MURDERER! THEY HATE YOU!” His body shook violently against the metal fence of the park. It rattled with an ugly, piercing sound, but got drowned out by his hating chants. 

A pair of warm hands cupped his cheeks, but Ralph refused to open his eyes to see the disappointment and hate in his friend’s eyes. 

~~They’re not your friends. They despise you.~~

He did not want their affection anymore. He couldn’t take it. All he had ever done was harm others, and he couldn’t stand the thought of losing control around the Jerrys in fear that he would hurt them.

But the Jerry in front of him showed him no disgust, but instead cooed and rocked him from side to side to calm him down. “You’re not a killer,” he whispered, barely audible over Ralph’s cries and pleads of forgiveness. “Look at me Ralph,” the android urged, backing out from the hug. Ralph clung to his shoulders like a lifeline, refusing to let go in case Jerry would leave him. 

“Please don’t leave Ralph! He didn’t mean to kill them!” Ralph sobbed, the anxiety seeming in every crack of his chassis. They would leave him if they knew what he had done. They knew what he had done. The evidence was all over him. Surely, they would have left him by now since they knew the crime he had committed. 

“We’re not going to leave you, sweetheart, we never will,” Ralph gave him a puzzled look. By what he had done, he was dead set on them abandoning him, so how could they forgive him that easily?

Ralph felt a soft pair of lips kiss his unharmed cheek, a hand caressing his jaw and quiet reassurances soothing him like a crying child. 

“We love you, Ralph,” Jerry met his eyes. Green against heterochromatic blue and hazel. A morbid mix of manmade aesthetic and human brutality. “And we hope you love us in the same way we do.”

“What way?”

Jerry rested his head against Ralph’s. The blood in his hair dyed his flaming red locks a neutral brown. He tilted his head ever so slightly to the left, leaning forwards until their lips connected in a tender kiss. Neither of them knew what to do, but they didn’t have time to be perfect. Their imperfections made them who they are, and they would never change anything about each other for the world.

Ralph pulled back first, feeling too overwhelmed by his own emotions. Jerry instantly pulled him closer to his chest, since the steady beat of his thirium pump would calm him down.

“Just like that,” Jerry nuzzled his face into Ralph’s matted hair. “We love you so much,” He reassured the other android, who cried at his profuse feelings. “Get all those bottled up feelings out honey. You’re not weak for showing emotions,” Jerry soothed, kissing him again to give him that extra rush of artificial serotonin.

Eventually, Ralph stopped crying and just listened to Jerry’s beating heart. The park was quiet enough to hear the twinkling of snow falling around them. Blue Jays chirped between their soft simulated breathing. 

Everything felt right at that moment, and Ralph couldn’t be happier. For a moment, he forgot he was soaked in the blood of the humans he had murdered. 

If he had been human, the gunshots he had received would have killed him. But he wasn’t human, he was an android. He was alive, with emotions, bonds, and social capabilities. He could feel love. Sometimes too much love, but love nonetheless.

He wasn’t supposed to have any of those abilities, but yet again, what humans told him wasn’t always right. 

“Jerry?”

“Ralph?” the other mimicked, a twinkle in his eye as he leaned forwards to kiss the android he loved. Ralph sunk into the kiss right away, despite still being unsure how to do it. This time he didn’t freak out and instead embraced the overflowing emotions. 

“Ralph wonders if all of you feel the same about him. L-like this?” His uncertainty would stay with him forever, but the constant reassurance was soothing to him. He wouldn’t blame the other Jerrys if they didn’t feel the same. Still, he hoped they would remain his friends.

To his surprise, Jerry contradicted his thoughts. “We do, sunshine. Every single one of us! And when we get back, we are going to drown you in love!” 

Ralph didn’t know how to respond, so he just smiled to himself and reflected over how infinitely lucky he was to be accepted and loved. What an amazing feeling. 

“Let’s go inside before we morph into the ground, hm?” Jerry took his hand and led the way to the party building. Their home. 

Their home. Ralph had a home. 

Not just an empty, abandoned building where his only companions were the spiders living between the floorboards. An actual home, where he thrived, had friends, no, lovers? He didn’t need a label for their relationship as long as he knew the Jerrys loved him. 

And now he walked hand in hand with one of the androids he loved so dearly. One he would easily sacrifice his life to ensure their safety. 

They spent the entire walk gathering themselves and their overwhelming emotions, especially Ralph. The Jerrys were used to being shown affection and gratitude by the people who came to the park when it was still open, but Ralph had only ever gotten it when he had been with the Jerrys, so the feeling of love was relatively new to him. 

He could tell his leg had been damaged since a light limp had presented itself the more he walked. He assumed the bullet was rubbing up against some wiring in his leg, preventing him from walking normally. 

Just before opening the door, Jerry gave him one last quick peck to his damaged cheek but being careful not to touch the sensitive gashes. “Love you,” He whispered, the ends of his lips turning upwards in a brilliant smile. 

“Ralph loves you too,” He felt his face become flustered again by the words. Simple words, yet all he had ever yearned to hear. 

They opened the door, but none of the Jerrys reacted. Their eyes were closed in a restless stasis, so Ralph spoke to wake them up. 

“Is anyone still cold?” The Jerrys turned in his direction and smiled at his presence. 

“Not with you here,” one beamed, reaching out to touch his bleeding leg carefully. Ralph lowered himself onto the floor where they sat and immediately got someone’s hands in his hair, brushing the strands away from his bloody face. 

“Ralph didn’t want to harm them, but they wanted to kill Jerry.” Ralph stared into the fire, emotionless. He was ashamed of his actions and felt unworthy of the Jerrys unconditional affection. However, he knew they loved him regardless of what he had done. 

"He couldn’t control himself.” It came out as a weak whisper. His emotions were too unstable to say anything else in fear of saying something that would make the Jerrys hate him. 

“You protected us, and we are forever grateful that you faced your fears and fought back.” 

Beside him, Jerry broke down in tears. The android clutched onto his arm desperately, lacing their fingers together without the intention of interfacing. “We were so scared we were going to lose you.” He sobbed, clinging onto the fabric of Ralph’s uniform. “We saw you get shot and we thought you got killed.”

A red-shirted Jerry touched the gaping wound in the temple. To his surprise, Ralph didn’t flinch at the contact. “We need to patch you up again. Your head is bleeding,”

Ralph touched his forehead and saw the thirium that stained his fingers. “Ralph… doesn’t feel it,”

“A part of your system must have been destroyed when you got shot. Maybe that’s why you can’t feel it.” Jerry proposed, making way for another Jerry to attend his wounds. 

“Thank you. Thank you for bringing Ralph back.” Ralph kissed the palm of the Jerry on his arm, who in turn grinned at the returned affection. “And thank you for loving him even though he has flaws.”

“Of course, sunshine,” Jerry had managed to stop the bleeding and extracted the bullet from his head. Fortunately, it hadn’t hit any major system functions, and all his wiring was still intact. “Anything else?” he analyzed Ralph’s body for more injuries, spotting the wounds in his shoulder and leg. 

“Would you mind taking your clothes off, so we don’t do any unnecessary damage to your body,”

“Ralph’s body isn’t very pretty to look at.” Ralph looked down in shame. He had never seen himself without the WR600 uniform he had worn since he got made, and had flat out refused to do so after his attack. Some things were better left undiscovered, but if Jerry needed it to fix him up, he would do it for them.

“We’re sure your body is just as beautiful as the rest of you,” Jerry claimed, not a tint of uncertainty in his voice. 

Ralph paused before fumbling his shirt off. Every eye was on him, and he felt extremely exposed. He hunched over as he usually did to hide the way he looked. Angry blue gashes littered his chest, arms, and back, which wasn’t something he should feel ashamed of, however, he felt the deepest of shame because of them.

Lips pressed against his shoulder, and even more hands appeared to feel his toned chest. A Jerry sat up against his back and kissed his neck tenderly. “Looks like we were right. You’re absolutely gorgeous,” the Jerrys assured him. For once in his life, he believed what they said. 

His face went blue in embarrassment. He wasn’t used to getting compliments like these, but he hoped he would get more in the future. The constant stream of compliments kept flowing as Jerry extracted the bullet from his shoulder and reconnected the cut off wires with a warm metal rod. 

To Ralph, it was just another wound, but to the Jerrys, it was a battle scar of a won war. A war he had lost so many times before. It was a testament to his bravery, even though Ralph would call himself anything but. 

“Do you feel comfortable taking your pants off? The leg wound is slightly deeper than the one in your shoulder.” 

It wasn’t like he had anything to hide anymore, so he carefully wriggled out of his pants as well. The heat from the newly lit fireplace created a comforting blanket over him, and he didn’t feel as exposed as he thought he would. 

He heard the Jerrys say words he had never understood or hadn’t searched up the definitions for. For once in his life, he opened his built-in lexicon, which in reality was only supposed to be used for identifying plants, and found the definition of the words.

**Handsome**  
/ˈhans(ə)m/  
Adjective  
(Of a man) good-looking.

And 

**Beautiful**  
/ˈbjuːtɪfʊl,ˈbjuːtɪf(ə)l/  
Adjective  
Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.

But also

**Breathtaking**  
/ˈbrɛθteɪkɪŋ/  
Adjective  
astonishing or awe-inspiring in quality, so as to take one's breath away.

He stopped the function when he heard more words flowing in the air. The praise still didn’t feel deserved, but he allowed himself to be selfish for just a few minutes as they closed the wound in his leg.

“Luckily it hasn’t hit any of the important wires, but you’ll have to live with the limp for a few days,” Jerry explained to him, but Ralph didn’t listen. He was too captivated with how the android’s lips looked. “Ralph?”

“Sorry, Ralph just really wants to kiss you again.” He admitted, blushing at the sudden realization that he was still technically still naked, apart from emerald olive-colored underwear. But he reminded himself that the Jerrys wouldn’t make nasty comments about his appearance like the humans did.

“Go on then, silly.” Ralph didn’t need to be told twice. He grabbed Jerry by the collar and slammed their lips together a little harder than intended. The identical androids by his sides held his hand and interfaced in a closed circuit. 

All their emotions flowed together into a single stream, and Ralph could feel the hivemind in effect. They were all a joined unit, but at the same time singular beings with individual feelings, thoughts, and experiences. His head ached with all the shared thoughts that were given to him, or it was the bullet wound, he couldn’t tell.

The only string of words he could manage making out was:

[I love you, I love you, I love you]

He felt the Jerrys' warmth flow throughout him, reciprocating his words of love. Laughter filled the air as they ended the circle and a calm aura spread around them. He wanted to stay like this forever, and not keep his distance like before.

Oh how lucky he felt to be loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is primarily smut, so if that ain't your thing you can stop reading. Thanks to all who made it this far!


	3. Save holding back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good ol` smut (and a sprinkle of angst and self-doubt for good measure ;).

The spring approached, and they no longer needed to light the fireplace keep the warmth. Once it became cold inside, they would use each other to generate heat, piling up on the floor and letting their connection keep them warm. 

Nowadays, Ralph would disconnect from his past, leaving behind habits he hated himself for having, such as the way he talked, flinched, and refused to face his feelings. Though occasionally he would slip into his old habits, his partners would never address unless he explicitly told them to point it out.

Despite him being very conscious of his body after what had happened to him, the Jerrys appreciated it every time Ralph allowed them to. Sometimes it was one, sometimes it was five, sometimes everyone. No matter what, Ralph would give them all the same amount of affection. But he got easily distracted by how the Jerrys would touch him.

Simple touches of affection would make his head feel warm, but their intimate touches would make his entire body feel like it was on fire. He loved the attention he got and loved how he could stride into a room completely naked and immediately get hands lifting him onto the nearest surface without questions asked. 

On a special day, the 12th of May, 2039, Ralph wanted to take an extra chance. He had read something about the Traci androids and their way of intimacy, which was different than how the Jerrys would touch him. Their definition of intimacy had been kissing, interfacing, and the occasional nearing touches, but had never gone all the way.

He wanted to go all the way, and he could sense that his partners wanted to do it as well. He wouldn’t force his ideas on the others and wouldn’t force them to do it if they didn’t want to.

He removed his shoes and stripped down to his underwear, which he didn’t need. His model didn’t have genitalia, though he hoped CyberLife would make purchasable modifications in the future for androids who weren’t equipped with such. Despite the Jerrys being entertainment androids, they had all the parts of a human.

His clothes got folded in a neat pile by the huge bed they had created from the sofas. The Jerrys were outside trying to save as many attractions as they could and rebuilding the ones that were still hope for. Ralph was usually outside helping them, but decided he would surprise them for their hard work.

“Jerry?” he peeked out the door to their shared room, spotting five Jerrys who were taking a break from work. They turned to him and eyed him up for a moment, before landing on his face. “I want to try something if you’re okay with it?”

The Jerrys communicated between themselves. Three nodded while one of them remained still. “We don’t want to just yet,” The Jerry who had not nodded said. Ralph had to admit he was slightly disappointed but respected their decision to wait. He was about to go back to put his clothes on again when the three other Jerrys stopped him. “We want to, but he wants to wait,” they explained, joining him in the bedroom. 

“What was it you wanted to try dear?” the green-shirted jerry asked, attaching his lips to Ralph’s sensitive neck. Ralph had a feeling they already knew exactly what he wanted, but they still insisted on him voicing his wants.

“I saw an ad for the Eden Club and want to try what they are doi-” His words got cut off with a moan as the blue-shirted Jerry ran his hands up his thighs until they rested by the crease between his legs and pelvis.

“Please continue,” the red-shirted Jerry urged, kissing the scars on his hands tenderly. 

“I saw something about sex, and wanted to try it with you,” Ralph groaned at the contact created between him and the Jerrys, feeling their arousal bloom at his desires.

“Are you sure?” Green asked between neck kisses. Ralph nodded with great enthusiasm, feeling himself become impatient. “Safe-word?”

“Marigold.”

“That’s oddly specific?”

“The color of the flower reminds me of your hair,” Ralph sat up and ruffled blue’s hair while the two other Jerrys were removing their clothes. Ralph unbuttoned Jerry’s shirt and felt the soft skin underneath. Jerry retracted the skin where Ralph was touching him, giving him full access to his memory and censors. 

The two other Jerrys pulled him back from his sitting position so that the last Jerry could take his clothes off as well. Red connected their lips in a passionate and heated kiss, while Green ran his mouth over his collar bone and chest. 

“Who do you want first?” Blue asked as he pulled his underwear off, climbing back onto the bed.

“If it was up to me, I would have had everyone at the same time, but that would probably hurt too much,” part of his system had been damaged by the gunshot wound he had gotten to the head, so he could no longer feel pain, but the buzzing in his body would replace the feeling instead, which was just as unpleasant.

“If we loosen you up enough, we might be able to fit two of us,”

“I would like that a lot.”

“We too honey.” His partners said in unison. 

“Turn off your hivemind, I want to feel you one by one,” Ralph ordered, and their LEDs flickered to confirm to him that they had turned it off. 

“We-I,” Red corrected himself, finally understanding how Ralph slipped up from time to time. “I hope we get used to the whole single mind thing soon because this feels slightly weird.”

“Anything for you Ralph, always,” Green licked a strip up the side of Ralph’s throat, making him shudder at the stimulation. “Now, let’s get you all prepared for us,” Red backed off from him before exchanging places with Blue, who seemed reluctant at the request, but moved away to give him space.

“Tell us if it’s too much for you,” Blue whispered, kissing the corner of his mouth and moving downwards until he reached the spot where Ralph’s thirium pump rested. It sped up at the contact, and Jerry hummed in satisfaction.

Ralph gripped onto Green’s shoulder to see what Red was doing. He looked at Ralph with hesitation before lowering his gaze to his crotch. “Are you completely sure? You can still back out if you feel uncomfortable.”

“Unless you are uncomfortable I don’t want to stop,”

“Have you turned your self-lubrication on?” Ralph turned on the function he didn’t know he had, nodding as he felt his lower parts get wet. “I’ll start with one finger,”

“Ah!” Ralph desperately kept himself from grinding down on him, but Jerry seemed to have gotten the wrong idea. He immediately pulled it and looked at him apologetically. “We're sorry! We didn’t mean to hurt you,” 

“It took Ralph by surprise, that’s all! He thinks he can take two.” He shook his head at his slip up but gathered himself quickly. 

“Are you sure? We don’t want to hurt you,” Jerry waited patiently for Ralph to answer.

Ralph dismissed the two Jerrys by his side and sat up. He pushed Jerry down on the bed, crawling on top of him. He was done waiting, and even though he might be deemed impatient by his partners, he knew he could take it. 

Jerry looked at him in confusion as Ralph slammed their lips together.

“One of you; in, now,” Ralph ordered between Jerry’s lips. He had the unfortunate habit of getting bossy whenever he thought things went too slow, but the Jerrys didn’t mind. Green took the lead and pushed two fingers in to stretch Ralph, who in turn groaned at the feeling.

Red reached up to squeeze his butt, deepening the kiss and swirling his tongue inside Ralph’s mouth as he panted heavily. Green moved his fingers with a steady rhythm and put one more in when he felt Ralph loosen up. 

As androids, the process was quicker than with humans, so they could technically move on to penetration right away, but they wanted to take it slow. The WR600 model wasn’t meant for sex, and they didn’t want to risk anything going wrong.

Blue tilted Ralph’s chin to overtake the kiss, while Red sucked on the base of his throat. They loved the quiet sounds Ralph made at their dominance, and they made sure to look out for body modifications in the future to let him have the full experience. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Red whispered, running his hands over the back of Ralph’s thighs, pulling him closer against his throbbing member. Ralph wrapped his hand around it and pumped it at the same phase as Green curled his fingers inside him.

Red removed his hand and interfaced with him instead. “Relax honey. We’ll do the work.” Green removed his fingers, much to Ralph’s dismay. He flipped him around and ran his hands over his stomach and chest. “Are you ready?” Blue switched places with Green and lifted Ralph’s legs over his shoulders to get a better angle. 

He lined himself up with Ralph’s entrance and slowly pushed himself inside. Both of them hissed at the feeling of the heat that flowed between them, stimulating their systems into near overdrive. “Does this feel alright?”

“R-Ralph thinks it feels strange, but I like it,” He moaned, grinding back against Jerry’s artificial organ. Red, now under him, held him down by the hips to prevent him from hitting the wall behind them.

“That’s good, sweetheart. Tell us if it’s too much,” Green leaned over his body, kissing the healed scar on his left shoulder. 

“More,” Ralph groaned, reaching up to gain some sort of leverage on Green’s back. Blue sped up at the request, going in as deep as he could while trying to keep himself composed. Even with how much Jerry was filling him, there was still room for more

“Jerry, I want you inside of me as well.” Although they all shared the same name, they could easily tell who Ralph was addressing. 

“You think you can handle that? Won’t it be too much for you?”

“I may do it myself if you don’t want to,”

“As we said, it's our turn to pleasure you, so whatever you want we will comply.” Red reached down to line himself up with Ralph’s entrance, smearing some of the lubricant on him before carefully pushing himself inside.

“Ahhhh!” Ralph let out a long and static-filled groan at the feeling of being filled up completely. They stretched his chassis to the point he was scared he was going to tear. He arched his back against the Jerry under him, spreading his legs wider until they physically couldn’t move further.

The Jerrys moved in unison, and Ralph had a feeling they had turned on their hivemind again to produce the ultimate pleasurable experience. 

“Feels, ah, so good!” Ralph whined as they moved quicker, more radical, and deeper. Green cupped his cheek and kissed him with near carnivorous intent, biting Ralph’s lip and circling the inside of his mouth with his tongue. Ralph’s moans made his body vibrate in an intoxicating manner, which made him shudder with a low gasp.

At the same time, the Jerrys thrusting into him threw their heads back in a silent orgasm, bodies jittering at their systems getting sent into an overdrive. They rode their orgasms out before pulling out from exhaustion. Fortunately for androids, they had the option between ejaculation or not, so their session was as good as mess-free.

The remaining Jerry helped him off Red, pulling Ralph onto his lap. “Is it okay if it’s just me?” He asked, stroking Ralph’s bare back. Ralph nodded, adjusting himself on Jerry’s lap to grind against his member. 

“My turn,” he growled, pushing Jerry down on their shared bed. He easily slid down on Jerry’s cock, taking his entire length in one go until he was fully seated on the android’s hips.

Over his shoulder, he saw the two other Jerrys watching them attentively. Ralph wanted to put on a show for his partners since they had been so good to him. “Turn on your hivemind. I want you all to feel me,” Their LEDs flickered blue, then back to a steady magenta, indicating sexual interest or arousal. 

He knew they loved it when he took control and acted on his desires, instead of reserving himself in fear of doing something wrong. So naturally, when he got a chance like this, he would do his very best to please his multiple partners. To make sure they wouldn’t get bored, he moaned extra loud and unfiltered the stream of feelings between them.

“Come here?” His partners crawled over to him, lounging down on each side of the pair, waiting patiently at whatever Ralph wanted to do with or to them. “Love all of you,” he kissed his partners with an equal amount of attention, measuring time, intensity, and exact movements. 

Although he knew that while the Jerrys were connected, meaning that they would feel the same stimulus, he still made sure to treat them all like they were special. To Ralph, every single one of them was special to him, no matter how much they wanted to partake in their partnership.

Green gripped his hips with a bruising touch, but Ralph couldn’t care less, because he knew Jerry was close. The WR600 leaned over his partner’s body, running his hands over his chest, feeling the soft synthetic muscles of his chassis. “You’re all so beautiful,” Ralph turned his head to Red, nuzzling his head into the crook of his shoulder. “I’m the luckiest android in the world to have you all as my partners."

He felt Blue’s hands on his back, massaging his shoulders as he buried himself on Jerry’s thick member. Red’s warm breath tickled his cheek and he could tell just by their rising volume that they enjoyed the things he was doing. 

Soft touches turned into lip biting, neck sucking, and hip grabbing. Desperate moans of want filled the air, and the room went warmer with every thrust.

But one particular touch to the side of his head pushed him over the edge. His vision went black for a brief moment.

“STOP!” Ralph screamed, stumbling out from their grip. His still working eye got clouded with tears, and everything around him morphed into a park, but not just any park. Grand Circus Park, 28th of November 2036, the day that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He saw their faces, heard their laughter, felt the coal of a grill burn against his face and body. 

He felt walls, though he could see nothing in front of him.

“Ralph!” A faint voice broke through the memory. He recognized the voice. It was firm but comforting at the same time. He reached out, feeling a pair of soft hands lace themselves together with his. “You’re safe. Whatever you are seeing, it is not real,” it spoke, pulling him closer. 

Ralph felt his connection with the memory get lost. Instead, he saw hundreds of wonderful memories shared with his partners. By the second he calmed down, sensing he really was safe. The love that flowed out with the memories got amplified by the hundreds when two other androids connected with him. 

It was too much. Too many feelings, too much affection.

“Hey, hey, please don’t cry!”   
“Look at us sunshine, we’re here for you,”   
“We love you, honey,”

“R-Ralph is just overwhelmed by his feelings.” Ralph stammered, wiping his tears away with his ragged hands. “He feels too much love, and he’s not used to anyone loving him.”

The Jerrys frowned, looking among each other. Ralph felt three warm bodies engulf him in a hug. He let his tears flow freely, feeling guilty for ruining the mood. 

“Well, we have no plans of stopping loving you sweetheart, but we will wait for you if you need the time.” 

“The Jerrys won’t leave Ralph?”

“Oh, honey…” Warm arms wrapped around his waist while another Jerry’s hands went up to run his fingers through the blond locks. “Is that what you’re scared of?”

Ralph nodded, leaning into their comforting gestures. “Ralph is- I am scared you will get tired of me.”

“Never. Honey, look at us.” Ralph looked at them, hesitant of their response. “We love you with all our hearts, and we will never get tired of you,” Red reassured him.

“You might not realize it, but you changed the course of our future.” 

“We had given up before you came here, and we were waiting to break apart until there was nothing left of us. When we got a signal that one of us was in what we thought was trouble, we went to investigate.”

“Instead, we found you. Sweet, wonderful, brave little you, who we vowed to protect from the second we saw you.” Jerry cupped his cheeks, wiping the androids tears away with his thumbs.

“Ralph-I, I was scared you would hate me for the things I had done; the things I did. But I think I know now that you tolerate me enough to let me stay,”

“Tolerate? You and we both know that we do more than just tolerate you. We love you, Ralph, more than life itself.”

“Love? Can we even feel love?”

“Don’t you think these past months has proven that in every sense?”

“I suppose so…”

“But you still think we will abandon you?”

Ralph remained quiet, being debated about what he felt. He knew he loved them and would do anything to make them happy. Hell, he was willing to die for them without even batting an eyelash. But at the same time, he had no idea what the feeling of love was. He was a gardening android, not made for social interaction, and definitely not made to form any sort of romantic or sexual relationships.

But he had done his research, enough of it to last a lifetime. And with that lifetime, no matter how long that may be, he wanted to spend with the Jerrys. In his past, he was equally as scared to be alive as dead, but that balance had shifted completely when he came to Pirate’s Cove.

“No, I don’t think you will abandon me,” when Ralph looked at them again, he believed his own words. He didn’t want to keep his distance anymore.

A last command popped up on his HUD.

[Stay with the people you love]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You shameless little bastards ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Once again: thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the story, kudos and comments are very much appreciated <3
> 
> Have a fantastic day!


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